I wanted to share about the human chain of people involved in getting forPEACE aid directly to those pushing the frontline. When you donate, you directly support chains of ordinary Ukrainians—each link an inspiring person whose life choices are part of explaining how Ukrainian society has mobilized the way it has—to not just bravely withstand, but push back, a full scale invasion.
A marine of the 1st Separate Feodosia Battalion holds the delivered Starlink
I'm grateful we can provide "stuff" like Starlinks thanks to your donations. But I am more honored and awed by the social systems we are all part of that get that stuff from point A to B. As critical as any piece of equipment can be, it is these social networks that guarantee Ukrainian victory.
So here is an attempt to convey, person by person, the sacrifices Ukrainians make on a daily basis for victory. And how you too are a part of that story.
Because we provided a Starlink to them this week, we were given this badge from an assault unit attached to the 1st Separate Feodosia Battalion of Marines. They are down in the trenches, face-to-face with the enemy, pushing the frontline in the counteroffensive, and they still have some prominent counties on their Liberation to-do list.
The soldier in the middle, Denys, lost his leg in the winter fighting near occupied Vodyane, Donetsk. He returned just last week for a second round of liberating Ukraine. "They can't break me! Whatever they try, they can't!"
The man on the right is Oleh. He represents millions of Ukrainian civilians who overnight became nearly full-time volunteers supporting frontline units they know. We work with him to support four battalions. Oleh personally delivered this Starlink to their position.
Oleh’s own story is not a simple one. Oleh is from Trostyanets, Sumy. One of the towns that was captured and occupied in the first days of the full scale invasion. He and his family are survivors of occupation. He shows me what was once his family's home. Rubble. "We have our lives. And thank God for that. But that's all we have now."
Oleh’s home
Looking at Oleh’s home, I think he would be more than justified to focus on his own stresses providing for an extended family that has lost everything. But instead he makes weekly trips to various active combat units to understand needs and deliver aid.
I met Oleh through another soldier from a different battalion named Maksym. An orphan from Chernivtsi, Maksym has been fighting in this war since 2014 and out of Bakhmut since last Fall. He's had three operations in the past year alone from shrapnel slicing through his body.
After each operation Maksym has returned to battle. While still recuperating in the hospital he has helped Oleh fundraise for various other units. Just a few weeks ago Maksym was released from hospital recovery and got married to his long-time partner.
Maksym on the left
Oleh met Maksym when he was in a hospital in Donetsk that Oleh volunteers at. The nurses knew Oleh was a frontline volunteer and told Oleh that Maksym needed his things brought from his troop’s positions. When he was evacuated all his things, including his legal documents, had been left behind. Oleh retrieved Maksym’s things and soon he started helping Oleh with his volunteer work.
In June 2023, after we helped Maksym's troop with multiple vehicle repairs, tire replacements, optics, helmets, body armor, sound cancellation headphones, drones, and medicines, he introduced forPEACE to Oleh and asked if we could help fulfill a medic's IFAK request.
This medic to be precise! Liola:
I met Maksym in November 2022 through Andriy, a friend I've known since 2012 when I first moved here. He's one of those people whose family is a little piece of heaven on earth. And they offer their home and love to all.
Andriy (center) helping in a destroyed community
Andriy met Maksym years ago and has always remained a friend and has helped with Maksym's military needs since 2014. Men are allowed to leave the country if they have a large family. When the full scale invasion began, Andriy could have easily and legally left since he and his wife have six children! But he didn't. Andriy relocated his family to Europe and then promptly returned to Ukraine to help with the war effort in every way he could. Ramping up his own social network and transforming it into a relief organization.
So that's the story of how a Starlink got delivered to a troop this week. The next time you see any picture of a troop receiving something, the miracle isn't just in the thing that was received, the miracle is every single hand who was part of getting it there. Each hand is worn with its own story long preceding this invasion. Each person came to be who and where they are in order to play their part in Ukraine's victory.
Thank you for putting out your hand and joining this chain. These are the people your donations empower to protect Ukraine. They are able and willing to sacrifice everything to do it. When you donate to our people-to-people fund this is what it looks like. forpeace.us
I love sharing these stories. Because these are the simple little raw things that are behind headlines of Ukrainian bravery.
— Britta Ellwanger